Battle of the Four Courts: The First Three Days of the Irish Civil War

The Irish Civil War began in 1922 when an 18-pounder artillery piece fired on the Four Courts, destroying Ireland's historical archives and leading to the surrender of the garrison. Michael Fewer's reconstruction of this tragic episode is an essential addition to the literature of the Irish Revolution.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2019
Publisher: Head of Zeus

A meticulously crafted and captivating account of the pivotal three summer days that sparked the civil war, marking a defining moment in modern Irish politics. The Irish Civil War unfolded on June 28, 1922, at approximately four in the morning, as an 18-pounder artillery piece commenced its barrage on the formidable granite walls of the Four Courts, a magnificent eighteenth-century complex that served as the residence of Ireland's highest legal tribunals. Within the courts, a substantial group of IRA men had taken refuge, a clear indication that the treaty intended to end the war of independence would never be embraced by ardent republicans. After three days of intense combat, with the buildings in ruins, the garrison ultimately surrendered. However, the Four Courts also housed invaluable historical archives, and these irreplaceable documents were tragically destroyed, with burnt paper raining down upon the city. This catastrophic event inflicted a profound cultural loss upon the newly established state and its collective historical memory.

Michael Fewer possesses a firm grasp of the political and military intricacies of those years, as well as a profound understanding of the architectural and technological dimensions of the battle. His recreation of this tragic episode is an intimate, detailed, and indispensable contribution to the literature of the Irish Revolution.

Weight: 316g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788546652